译“意”兼而译“心”——以《唐人街》为例

Translating “Intentions” while Translating “Plots”——Citing Chinatown Family as an Example

《唐人街》是林语堂用英文写就的一部长篇小说,旨在传播粤语文化、闽南文化和道家文化。但是,唐强汉译的《唐人街》却过度改写和操控了其中的闽南文化、粤语文化和道家文化,未能完整、准确地再现林语堂传播中国文化的创作意图,只译出了“意”,却未能如实译出“心”。根据回译的特点,回译者在回译林语堂的英文作品时,应该本着与原文作者的创作意图相一致的翻译目的,恰当选用不同的翻译策略,译“意”兼而译“心”,才能真实再现原文的价值。

Chinatown Family is an English novel written by Lin Yutang,aiming at spreading Cantonese culture,Minnan culture and Taoist culture.However,the Chinese version of Chinatown Family translated by Tang Qiang excessively rewrote and manipulated its Minnan culture,Cantonese culture and Taoist culture,which cannot fully and accurately reproduce Lin Yutang's original intention of spreading Chinese culture.It has just translated its“plots”,not the original author's true“intentions”.According to the characteristics of restoring translation,when translating Lin Yutang's English works back into Chinese,restoring translators should conform their translation purpose with the original author's creation intention,adopting different translation strategies properly and translating“intentions”while translating“plots”.Only by doing so can they truly reproduce the value of the original work.